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                          CARMEN 



            CARMEN 



by PROSPER MERIMEE 



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                                         CARMEN 



                                 CHAPTER I 



     I had always suspected the geographical authorities did not know what 

they were talking about when they located the battlefield of Munda in the 

county     of   the  Bastuli…Poeni;      close   to  the  modern      Monda;     some    two 

leagues north of Marbella。 

     According to my own surmise; founded on the text of the anonymous 

author   of   the   /Bellum   Hispaniense/;   and   on   certain   information   culled 

from the   excellent library  owned   by  the Duke of   Ossuna;  I believed   the 

site   of   the   memorable   struggle   in   which   Caesar   played   double   or   quits; 

once and for all; with the champions of the Republic; should be sought in 

the neighbourhood of Montilla。 

     Happening   to   be   in Andalusia   during   the   autumn   of   1830;   I   made   a 

somewhat lengthy excursion; with the object of clearing up certain doubts 

which still oppressed me。 A paper which I shall shortly publish will; I trust; 

remove      any   hesitation    that  may    still  exist  in  the  minds    of  all  honest 

archaeologists。      But   before    that  dissertation    of  mine    finally   settles  the 

geographical       problem     on  the   solution   of   which    the  whole     of  learned 

Europe hangs; I desire to relate a little tale。 It will do no prejudice to the 

interesting question of the correct locality of Monda。 

     I had hired a guide and a couple of horses at Cordova; and had started 

on     my    way     with    no    luggage     save    a   few     shirts;   and    Caesar's 

/Commentaries/。 As   I   wandered;   one   day;   across   the   higher   lands   of   the 

Cachena      plain;   worn    with   fatigue;   parched    with   thirst;  scorched     by   a 

burning   sun;   cursing   Caesar   and   Pompey's   sons   alike;   most   heartily;   my 

eye   lighted;   at   some   distance   from   the   path   I   was   following;   on   a   little 

stretch of green sward dotted with   reeds and rushes。 That betokened the 

neighbourhood of some spring; and; indeed; as I drew nearer I perceived 

that what had looked like sward was a marsh; into which a stream; which 

seemed to issue from a narrow gorge between two high spurs of the Sierra 

di Cabra; ran and disappeared。 

     If   I   rode   up   that   stream;   I   argued;   I   was   likely   to   find   cooler   water; 

fewer leeches and frogs; and mayhap a little shade among the rocks。 



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                                          CARMEN 



     At   the   mouth   of   the   gorge;   my   horse   neighed;   and   another   horse; 

invisible to me; neighed back。 Before I had advanced a hundred paces; the 

gorge   suddenly   widened;   and   I   beheld   a   sort   of   natural     amphitheatre; 

thoroughly      shaded     by   the  steep    cliffs  that  lay   all  around    it。  It  was 

impossible to imagine any more delightful halting place for a traveller。 At 

the foot of the precipitous rocks; the stream bubbled upward and fell into a 

little basin; lined with sand that was as white as snow。 Five or six splendid 

evergreen oaks; sheltered from the wind; and cooled by the spring; grew 

beside the pool; and shaded it with their thick foliage。 And round about it a 

close and glossy turf offered the wanderer a better bed than he could have 

found in any hostelry for ten leagues round。 

     The honour of discovering this fair spot did not belong to me。 A man 

was resting there alreadysleeping; no doubtbefore I reached it。 Roused 

by the neighing of the horses; he had risen to his feet and had moved over 

to his mount; which had been taking advantage of its master's slumbers to 

make a hearty feed on the grass that grew around。 He was an active young 

fellow;   of   middle   height;   but   powerful   in   build;   and   proud   and   sullen… 

looking in expression。 His complexion; which may once have been fine; 

had   been   tanned   by   the   sun   till   it   was   darker   than   his   hair。   One   of   his 

hands grasped his horse's halter。 In the other he held a brass blunderbuss。 

     At the first blush; I confess; the blunderbuss; and the savage looks of 

the man who bore it; somewhat took me aback。 But I had heard so much 

about   robbers;   that;   never   seeing   any;   I   had   ceased   to   believe   in   their 

existence。 And further; I had seen so many honest farmers arm themselves 

to the teeth before they went out to market; that the sight of firearms gave 

me   no   warrant   for   doubting   the   character   of   any   stranger。   〃And   then;〃 

quoth I to myself; 〃what could he do with my shirts and my Elzevir edition 

of   Caesar's   /Commentaries/?〃   So   I   bestowed   a   friendly   nod   on   the   man 

with the blunderbuss; and inquired; with a smile; whether I had disturbed 

his nap。 Without any answer; he looked me over from head to foot。 Then; 

as if the scrutiny had satisfied him; he looked as closely at my guide; who 

was just coming up。 I saw the guide turn pale; and pull up with an air of 

evident alarm。 〃An unlucky meeting!〃 thought I to myself。 But prudence 

instantly counselled me not to let any symptom of anxiety escape me。 So I 



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                                         CARMEN 



dismounted。 I told the guide to take off the horses' bridles; and kneeling 

down beside the spring; I laved my head and hands and then drank a long 

draught; lying flat on my belly; like Gideon's soldiers。 

     Meanwhile;       I  watched     the  stranger;   and   my    own    guide。   This   last 

seemed to come forward unwillingly。 But the other did not appear to have 

any   evil   designs   upon   us。   For   he   had   turned   his   horse   loose;   and   the 

blunderbuss;   which   he   had   been   holding   horizontally;   was   now   dropped 

earthward。 

     Not thinking it necessary to take offence at the scant attention paid me; 

I stretched myself full length upon the grass; and calmly asked the owner 

of the blunderbuss whether he had a light about him。 At the same time I 

pulled out my cigar…case。 The stranger; still without opening his lips; took 

out   his   flint;   and   lost   no   time   in   getting   me   a   light。   He   was   evidently 

growing tamer; for he sat down opposite to me; though he still grasped his 

weapon。 When I had lighted my cigar; I chose out the best I had left; and 

asked him whether he smoked。 

     〃Yes; senor;〃 he   replied。 These were the first words   I had heard him 

speak;     and   I  noticed   that  he   did  not   pronounce      the  letter  /s/*  in  the 

Andalusian   fashion;  whence   I   concluded   he   was   a   traveller;  like   myself; 

though; maybe; somewhat less of an archaeologist。 

     *     The Andalusians   aspirate   the   /s/;   and   pronounce  it   like   the   soft 

/c/ and the /z/; which Spaniards pronounce like the English /th/。                        An 

Andalusian       may    always    be   recognised     by  the   way    in  which    he  says 

/senor/。 

     〃You'll find this a fairly good one;〃 said I; holding out a real Havana 

regalia。 

     He bowed his head slightly; lighted his cigar at mine; thanked me with 

another     nod;   and    began    to  smoke     with   a  most    lively   appearance     of 

enjoyment。 

     〃Ah!〃 he exclaimed; as he blew his first puff of smoke slowly out of 

his ears and nostrils。 〃What a time it is since I've had a smoke!〃 

     In   Spain   the   giving   and   accepting   of   a   cigar   establishes   bonds   of 

hospitality similar to those founded in Eastern countries on the partaking 

of

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